Preview: UFC Fight Night 221 ‘Yan vs. Dvalishvili’

Catchweight (215 Pounds)

#6 LHW | Nikita Krylov (29-9, 10-7 UFC) vs. #8 LHW | Ryan Spann (21-7, 7-2 UFC)

ODDS: Krylov (-170), Spann (+145)

Two ranked light heavyweights look to sort things out in a 215-pound catchweight clash that is taking place two weeks later than expected. Krylov had one of the more infamous UFC debuts back in 2013, coming to the promotion as a 21-year-old heavyweight with a dubious record and proceeding to lose in tragicomic fashion to Soa Palelei. “The Miner” figured to quickly wash out of the UFC from there, but instead, he proved to be a shockingly effective prospect, knocking out Walt Harris in 25 seconds and then dropping to light heavyweight in a move that seemingly unlocked all of his physical potential. Krylov’s wins were not always the prettiest, as he has mostly leveraged his aggression and durability over all else, but given how his UFC tenure started, it was impressive to see him string together five straight victories until he ran into Misha Cirkunov in 2016. From there, Krylov left the UFC in favor of a lucrative deal to fight in Russia for two years, but he came back to the promotion in 2018 much the same fighter, capable of winning or losing almost any fight purely of his own doing, whether it was his outworking Volkan Oezdemir in October or diving right into a Paul Craig triangle choke in March 2022.

If Krylov was not unpredictable enough on his own, Spann is another fighter who brings chaos to the cage. Spann cuts an impressive figure at 6-foot-5 with a massive reach, but it is never particularly clear how “Superman” is able to channel his physical tools from fight to fight. Spann can be occasionally cautious—an interminable May 2020 win over Sam Alvey sticks out in particular—but most of his fights see him apply some pressure and then let the chips fall where they may. Spann’s last five fights have all ended within a round, win or lose, and fights like his knockout loss to Johnny Walker and submission win over Ion Cutelaba each saw multiple momentum swings over the course of only a few minutes. A November win over Dominick Reyes might be a cause for optimism. Reyes is in the middle of a rough slide, but Spann quickly found a sharp knockout and claimed afterwards that it was the first serious fight camp of his career. Still just 31 and with plenty of physical talent, Spann could take advantage of a wide-open division if he has truly turned a corner. Krylov appears impossible to knock out, so Spann’s chances probably come down to his ability to find a submission in a wrestling exchange, most likely via the guillotine choke that has become a bit of a signature. It may be a coinflip, but it is worth the flier to say that Spann can find it. The pick is Spann via first-round submission.

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Yan vs. Dvalishvili
Romanov vs. Volkov
Krylov vs. Spann
Ramos vs. Lingo
Nurmagomedov vs. Martinez
Petrino vs. Turkalj
The Prelims